Thank You for sharing in this very first post of the exciting new enterprise of 'Tickety-Boo Herbal', situated on the sunny Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. My name is Binnah and I am the entrepreneur who founded this business in late 2015. Evolving truly organically from a fierce passion for 'Plant Medicine', with a long-standing aversion to 'Patent- Petrochemical-Pharmaceuticals', and through my relentless quest to seek out the very purest and highest quality health products for my own loved ones.Please see 'here' for more on the developing story of our ever-evolving business.
Discovering the remarkable healing power of the Black-Seed, botanical name of Nigella Sativa, was also a fundamental cornerstone in our business foundation, as I was not only increasingly appalled at the quality of the brand completely monopolising the current Australian market, but also quite 'outraged' that none of the packaging of the actual Black 'Seed' had directions advising people about the need to 'toast' the seed to avoid chronic heartburn and /or intestinal discomfort and acute cramping. I personally can attest to debilitating stomach-cramps during the initial 'unaware' period of using the Black-Seed untoasted, but after researching extensively I became aware of the necessity of toasting/roasting and have never suffered a cramp since, in fact, I find the Black-Seed fortifies the digestive system and stimulates the appetite, with myself and friends reporting an increase in appetite and a 'craving' for healthier and purer food choices.
Currently undertaking some ongoing research of my own into whether different blood-types respond better to the Black Seed or the Black-Seed Oil, I provide an array of options for my customers from the Sweet-Sunnah Black-Seed Oil (cold-pressed & free from alcohol, hexanes and solvents) and Sweet-Sunnah Black-Seed Oil softgel-caps, to our very own signature product - Tickety-Boo Herbal's Organic 'Toasted' Caps, where we toast, grind and cap Organic Egyptian Black-Seed into half-teaspoon doses. Stay-tuned as we will very soon be adding packages of pure Organic Egyptian Black-Seed. both toasted and un-toasted, whole & ground, to our Tickety-Boo emporium inventory.
The 'Toasting' of the Black-Seed
Much controversy abounds on the 'necessity' of toasting the Black-Seed. Personally, I believe it is usually just 'laziness' on the part of suppliers to not supply a 'pre-roasted' option, and 'negligence' that they fail to at least inform people of the option in their product's directions, although to be 'fair' some suppliers are just truly genuinely naive to the protocol of toasting - which is entirely understandable considering the lack of reliable research and information currently available .Unfortunately, people may bypass the life-saving and strength-restoring benefits of the Black-Seed. purely through lack of information about toasting, or through using an inferior grade of product. At this point let me strongly emphasis the absolute essential need to source out the very highest-quality ORGANIC seeds from a trusted and reputable supplier. Non-organic seeds are quite often adulterated with black onion seeds and will possess significantly less of the essential volatile compounds.
Segueing nicely into the 'science' behind the roasting-toasting of the Black-seed.... Although we have heard of a couple of people, we dub as 'iron-guts', who can stomach the seed untoasted the large majority will need to seek out the 'toasted' seed for regular dosage. A study by the 'Institute of Food Technologies' in 2012, here, observed differences in volatile composition between raw and roasted black-seeds, and that different roasting times significantly influence the volatile compounds obtained. Although terpenes, the characteristic volatile compounds, including thymoquinone, appeared to decrease in roasted samples, compounds of furan, ketone & pyrazines were only found ONLY in roasted samples, with concentrations generally increased with roasting time. Another more recent study from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology in Israel (2015), here, found that heating the Nigella Sativa seeds before oil extraction produces oil that is more effective against cancer-cells, and that 'results suggest that heating the seeds before preparation of the extract causes a change in the relative amount of thymoquinone, and that with controlled thermal processing of the seeds the level of thymoquinone increased significantly'.... The one thing all scientists and researchers CAN agree upon is that there is an urgent need for further scientific research into both the seeds and the oils of Nigella Sativa - The Black-Seed ... The Blessed Seed.
DIRECTIONS - How to Toast
You may have noticed a theme developing & that I am 'kinda-borderline-OBSESSED' with the 'Magical and Miraculous Illustrious Black-Seed'. I can, and will, write a whole article on the benefits of the Black-Seed and even then I would be lucky to cover a fraction of its phenomenal healing prowress. So, let's stay on track and let me guide you through the very simple process of roasting/toasting your Black-Seed.
Listed below are the written instructions, but for those more prefer more 'visual' instructions, here, is my recently produced Youtube video on 'The Art of Toasting the Black Seed' ... ***BINNAH NOTE - Please be kind!!!... It's my very first video and completely self-produced - I was holding the 'selfie-stick' under my arm at times!!!***
1) Measure out one cup (usually around 100grams) of Organic Black-Seed- make sure you have a high-quality ORGANIC seed from a trusted retailer, be sure it is actual NIGELLA SATIVA and not black onion, or black caraway etc... Initially I believed it was better to toast in half-cup quantities due to the high risk of accidentally burning. After extensive testing I have found that the full cup quantity lends itself to a more consistent heat and subsequently the seeds seem to 'pop' better in the pan.
2) Pour your cup of Black Seed into a mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under kitchen tap. Rinse the seed thoroughly to clean it and also pick through looking for any stones. All Herbalists are trained to put 'love' and 'intention' into their products, so this is a good stage to imbue some blessings of your own into the seed. Once you are satisfied let the strainer drain over a bowl while you heat your pan.
3) With this method you want a moderately-hot pan. I have chosen ceramic but I have had equally good success with a stainless steel wok, and I imagine cast-iron cookware would impart even more beneficial properties to the seed. Bring the pan up to temperature - you can test by flicking water into the pan, when you hear it 'sizzle', then you know your pan is ready.
4) Now, empty the 'wet' seed from the strainer into the moderately-hot pan - Ok, this is the FUN bit, again - completely optional, but this is where I like to activate that 'prophetic Arab blessing' by 'smudging' my house out from the steam that the wet seed produces... I 'waft' the pan around the house at this point, focusing on areas that are messy and have 'low-energy' that needs raising... Once the steam has subsided I place the pan back on the element and wait for the 'magic' to start 'poppin'..
5) DO NOT WALK AWAY!!! ... It will take a good five minutes before the seed will dry out and start to 'pop', but it will come up to heat fast and the risk of burning is high - so watch it closely at all times... Just keep 'shakin' and stirrin'' - shaking' the pan, and stirring the pot with a clean wooden spoon.
6) Once your seed starts popping you need to continue to 'shake & stir', but with thirty second to sixty second intervals in-between, to allow the heat to build up in the pan ... Once the 'popping' starts to slow down in frequency it is time to start tasting the seed, testing that the bitterness has been replaced by a 'crunchy nuttiness'. Have a dish ready so that you can transfer the seed from the hot pan as soon as it is ready - leaving the seed in a hot pan to cool down MAY result in it being burnt. It is very easy to burn the Black-seed whilst toasting and I, myself, have burnt as many pans of seed as I have toasted successfully!!!.. Yet I never let the burnt seed go to waste as once it is ground it is a lot less perceptible in taste so is perfectly fine to use in recipes (I have a lot of Black-Seed recipes coming 2 U soon!!!)
7) Once you are satisfied that the 'bitterness' has been sufficiently toasted out of your Black-Seed then remove from heat and transfer to separate dish and allow to cool - IMPORTANT - (Word to the Wise) : You MUST allow the black seed to COMPLETELY cool before the next step of grinding. Any warmth will cause the Black-Seed to coagulate and clump.
***BINNAH-NOTE ***: You may also choose to keep some of the toasted seed aside as whole and 'unground' for use in certain recipes where the sprinkling of the Toasted Seed (whole) is preferred
8) Once your Black-Seed has completely cooled (at least 4 hours) it is time to grind. ... Completely up to the individual what method is used. Using the traditional mortar-and pestle is probably preferable for smaller quantities, but when grinding up in volume and for production of products like the 'Tickety-Boo Toasted Caps', I would definitely recommend an electronic coffee/spice grinder. I currently use the 'grinding' blade of my Nutri-Bullet for all my herbal grinding requirements and have heard many herbalists satisfied with the old-fashioned abilities of the 'Magic Bullet'.
9) The 'roasting-toasting process' is complete!!! ... Here at Tickety-Boo we have taken it a step further and encapsulated our 'Toasted Black-Seed' into large 000 size capsules - whilst slightly more expensive than other vegetable capsules, the larger size ensures a full half-teaspoon in every capsule ... It is is collectively recognised that that the 'traditional' dose is a full teaspoon of Black-Seed or Black-Seed Oil, so these capsules allow for convenience and ease of dosage in our fast-paced modern lifestyle. Here at Tickety-Boo we also do smaller size capsules upon request, for the children and elderly and those who prefer a smaller size for ease of swallowing. Please email us for your custom order capsule prices - binnah@ticketybooherbal.com
The ancient historical references & modern-day scientific research on the Black-Seed deserve an entire blog-post of their own, and I am currently compiling it. These are just some of the many benefits of the Black-Seed that are now coming to light in current scientific and 'evidence-based' research...
Black seed (Nigella sativa) is considered to be one of the greatest healing herbs of all times. This herb has been used for millenniums to strengthen the immune system, cleanse the body, purify the blood, protect against irritants, and support healthy longevity. The majority of our health problems today have the same overall causes- infection by micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. Clinical medicine (allopathic medicines) treats symptoms individually and usually with synthetic or chemically manufactured medicines that contain alcohol and other harmful ingredients. Black seed is a natural treatment effective at treating the body as a whole and fights the actual cause of the symptoms. Black seed herb taken internally has been found to regulate too weak or too strong reactions of the immune system and is excellent for treating chronic, allergic, and hormonal diseases. Black seed supports metabolism, improves digestion, and lowers blood sugar levels. It is also used to get rid of worms and parasites from the intestinal tract. It is also useful in soothing bronchitis and coughs, increasing body tone, stimulating menstrual periods, and provides quick energy, increases sperm count, calms the nervous system, encourages hair growth and retards hair fall out, prevents skin wrinkling, and much more...The Beauty of the Black Seed is that it also works very well as a Complimentary Medicine to Pharmaceutical Medication, giving the body the Strength to Heal more quickly. If you are treating a serious illness then the recommendation would be, as with all supplements, to introduce the Black Seed gradually over a few days.
'Divinely Delicious' - One thing that I have probably not emphasised enough in this article is the TASTE... Before roasting the seed is very bitter and unpleasant, but after roasting it takes on a nutty, warm, yummy, delicious flavour that lends itself to almost any savoury dish you can think of... Success in the 'Art of Cooking' is usually achieved through countless repetition of favourite recipes - tweaking and fine-tuning until you could cook it with your eyes closed... I have a whole cache of recipes such as these, into which I have integrated the Black-Seed seamlessly.
The Black-Seed also incorporates beautifully into all manner of skin-care and in my next Binnah-Blog I will be releasing my new 'Tickety-Boo Soothing Psoriasis Salve', including the full extensive ingredient list of which Black-Seed Oil is an active essential base and also detailed instructions for making your own.
Again, Thank You for sharing in the 'Birth of the Binnah-Blog'. I absolutely encourage feedback and love to listen to other people's stories and point-of-view... Please comment below or email me privately at binnah@ticketybooherbal.com.
May the divne blessing of this ancient prophetic medicine descend like a big ball of blissful beautiful energy over You and all your Beloved ... Namaste, Binnah XOX
Usage Warning:As a reminder, discuss the supplements and medicines you take with your health care providers. Black Seed Oil is not to be used during pregnancy or if you are lactating. Individuals using hypoglycemic drugs should consult a healthcare professional before taking this product Use only as directed. If symptoms persist, please consult your healthcare practitioner. .
***The products and the claims made about specific products on or through this site have not been evaluated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have, or suspect you might have, a health problem***
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